Fallen from Grace

Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy some smut...
Review: ...then you'll probably enjoy this book. It's not completely horrible, but at times I found the situations a bit unbelievable. Some of the sex scenes are rather explicit, which didn't bother me, but if you're bothered by something like that you may want to pass this book over. I didn't find the sex scenes to be trashy in any way and were very well written.

Sara is a down on her luck novelist and Ryan is her neighbor who happens to be a male prostitute. They instantly make a romantic connection and Sara pressures Ryan to leave "the business." He's reluctant because he feels he owes his boss (pimp) something for saving his life and taking him off the street.

I found Ryan's situation completely believable - far too many kids runaway from home and find themselves turning tricks on the street - in Ryan's case he's become a high priced whore. Although, for a guy seemingly so smart and with it, he had no balls when it came to Catherine, his boss. I found Sara to be less convincing. My perception had nothing to do with her career, but how easily she seemed to not have a problem with what Ryan did for a living. Yes it tormented her, but I think most women would be mortified no matter how attractive they found Ryan to be.

I agree with a few other people who thought the book was a bit on the preachy side.

Rating:
Summary: Dull, no sparks...
Review: I don't know what everyone else found so wonderful about this this book. The only purpose it served me was curing my insomnia. Five minutes after I started reading it, I would fall asleep.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time...
Review: I looked for this book for almost a year. My friend highly recommended it, and said it was worth every cent. Ummm... NOT!

Laura Leone aka Laura Resnick has promise, but she butchers the story. Her heroine is too stupid to live (ex. She completely forgives the hero for sleeping with other women on the job while going out with her, AND goes from being spitting mad one minute to complacent in the next minute). Her hero is a whiner (ex. He does his job and comes back saying that he HAD to do it. He owed it to his pimp for saving him). There is no heart in this story. I wouldn't even classify it as "romance" or "mainstream". Linda Howard has this woman whipped in both categories!

Basically, it's completely bogus, with little to no facts and research without humor or reality. Don't waste your time, money or effort!

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time...
Review: I picked this up at the library because it was shelved with the mainstream fiction...was quite surprised a few pages into it to discover it was just a Romance novel. The publisher must think it's pretty nifty stuff to believe it can find an audience outside of the traditional paperback Romance market...it does tackle a bit more unusual story (a male prostitute and his 9 yrs older girlfriend) than a standard Romance, but unfortunately the quality of the actual writing and characterization are woefully lacking.

I am giving two stars only because I think it IS commendable to at least try to write Romance novels for women readers that are "outside the box", i.e., not so trite and corny and predictable. Ms. Leone has the most success with main character Ryan, who although perfect looking and perfect in temperment, has an unusual profession and personal history. She falls painfully flat, however, with the female protagonist -- Sara is acutely one dimensional and unbelievable as a Jewish novelist in her mid-thirties. I can't figure out why this would present a problem to the author, as she is apparently writing about someone quite similar to herself and this can't be very difficult and yet Sara is far less fully developed than Ryan, and it's not possible to really care about this character or worry if she and Ryan will get together at the end.

Unlike most traditional Romances, this one (again probably the reason for marketing it as mainstream) has more than the average sexual situations, graphic love scenes and use of the F-word. However, it quickly reverts to standard formula as the characters fall effortlessly in love, have awesome sex, and all problems melt away as they plan their wedding.

There was some real potential here if the author had had the courage to really write a honest story about male prostitution -- unfortunatly most of the data about the phenomena seems to be gleamed from the 70s movie "American Gigolo", i.e., phony as a three dollar bill -- and it's aftereffects, and been less consumed by the need to create the perfect love story.

The neat resolution of all problems -- prostitution, lesbianism, older woman/younger man, interrelgious marriage -- into a tidy package also throws things well into that ABC After School special category, which is about as Romantic or sexy as orthopedic shoes.

Packaging this as a mainstream, serious novel was misleading! I doubt I would have ever picked this up if it had been properly identified as a Romance novel.

Rating:
Summary: More romances like this one, please!
Review: In Fallen From Grace, Laura Leone has created a completely out-of-the-ordinary romance. It isn't safe, it isn't conventional, and it isn't cliched. In short, it's the most refreshing romance I've read in ages and I wish publishers would encourage more authors to write "outside the box" like this. In Fallen From Grace, Leone pairs up Sara Diamond, a smart, sassy Jewish writer heroine who has recently been dumped by her publisher, with younger man Ryan Kinsmore, a complex hero with a horrific past that has led him to an unlikely career for a romance novel hero...that of expensive prostitute. Instantly smitten when Sara moves in next door, Ryan lies to Sara because he's sure that if she knew the truth about his job that would be the end of any relationship between them. How they work out their obstacles is a treat to be savored. The dialogue is snappy, the pace is brisk, and the romance is touching. I can't recommend it enough.

Rating:
Summary: Unconvential romance with biting edge- gritty
Review: Laura Leone has risen above the formula that is the hallmark of standard romantic fiction. This is a novel of grit and depth. The frank sexuality and situations depicted do not leave much the imagination- they are supposed to shock and even repulse.
Ryan Kinsmore is a handsome young yuppie from initial appearances and his new neighbor Sara Diamond is impressed by his gentle nature, big heart and warmth. She is shocked when she finds out he was a teenage runaway who ended up a male escort- something he stil is 10 years later. Ryan as "Kevin" is a highly paid prostitute and even though he loves Sara he feels unworthy of her love and has little true self-value. His madam Katherine saved him from the streets and groomed him into the suave man he presents to the world but on the inside he sees himself as a scared kid who did anything for money.
This book is very much a book of discovery and finding the courage to make a big change as it is a romance. I found Ryan to be an empathetic character and believable. Most stories with prostitutes are women- few are men, yet more and more men work as sex workers today servicing men and women ( watch Law and Order SVU any episode to verify this) and the whole objectification of the service provider and the way they see themselves was done well here. Sara is an interesting woman- she is a writer who is in the midst of her own career turmoil so these two meeting at a critical crossroads is no accident.
The love making between Ryan and Sara is sweet once it happens- the emotions and trust issues rule their heads and hearts and bodies.
This is an adult story with very adult themes- not for the faint of heart. Story is set in San Francisco and there is a secondary subplot involving Sara facing that someone close to her is gay and her having to accept this. Again- if you are offended- read something else. If you are open to what is in a person's heart and body- this is a great read with many unexpected touches of humor as well as driving pathos as Ryan finds a way out of the life he has lived for so long.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys romance novels.

Rating:
Summary: Two and a half stars for a unique storyline, but
Review: the story fell far from hitting it's mark. Let's begin with the startling differences between the hero and heroine. He was gorgeous, sexy, loving, vulnerable, tortured and sweet as anything. She was......what was she again?....I don't remember because she was so boring. She was vanilla. She was almost non-existant on the page. Why he fell so in love with her was a mystery to me. The heroine could have been written in a much more complex way and added so much more to the relationship and the plot. It was almost as if the hero and heroine were written by two different writers rather than the same author.

And the ridiculously annoying secondary characters and their lack of contribution to the heart of the whole torutured story of this young man's life was almost pathetic. Why was her sister's lesbian relationship even mentioned? And the young boy he saves at "SAFE HOUSE" and "BERNICE VILLAGE" was like scenes out of an ABC Afterschool Special. And yes, needless to say the ending was clean, simple, and happily ever after like some bad movie of the week. I mean, literally, bad. After this whole dark, tortured life of this man who is raped and battered, they end the book with him planning the guest list for his wedding? Of course everyone from SAFE HOUSE was invited. The End.

Rating:
Summary: Love On The Rough Side of The Tracks
Review: This is a read that will pierce your sense of morality versus romance. At times I thought this should read, `Fallen From Social Grace' because it deals with the side of life that many of us have not personally experienced yet do empathize with those who overcame growing up on the rough side of the tracks.

The main plot is a romance story of an apparent washed-up writer and older woman, Sara, and a handsomely sexy younger male prostitute and truly tortured hero, Ryan. The subplot deals with a distressing look at the dark humiliating actions inflicted by successful people who exploit less than fortunate males (particularly for this story) who are in dire need to survive on the dangerous streets of San Francisco. Ryan was one of these young males: a runaway who would do just about anything to obtain money to eat. However, sadly enough, one night after performing a `highly paid' intimate act on a man, his `trick' brutally rapes him and leaves him for dead in a dark alley. Alas, his only true friend comes to his rescue - a high class female "solicitor" who takes personal interest in grooming him for a career in prostitution; thus, giving him the name of "Kevin".

Years later Ryan meets a new next door neighbor, Sara. During the beginning of their budding relationship, Sara believes Ryan is a professional "model" and is away from home so much due to his photo shoots. Eventually Sara finds out his true occupation, Kevin, and is morally and emotionally challenged to accept or reject him. She is in an emotional whirlwind because now a family secret is about to be revealed, which will cause her to struggle even more with or compromise her deeply rooted social beliefs and unconditional love in acceptance of others.

This is an emotionally stirring and compelling read vs romantic. Although it was a tear jerker for me, it has a happy ending which ties together both of the main characters rather nicely.


Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Read.....
Review: Wow. This is not like any story Ive EVER read. In the front of the book, the author mentions that romance readers are more interested in a great story than a safe one. She really nailed it when she said that. What a book! "Fallen From Grace" had great characters in its h/h, Sara and Ryan. This book , however, belonged to Ryan. I loved the story. The way it didnt apologize for itself when it got gritty..didnt try to gloss itself over..it was blunt, to the point, real, and so achingly romantic. The main draw for me though ,was definitely Ryan. What a genuine HERO. The things that he overcame..his gentle and sincere treatment of others...his compassion..all of this wrapped up in such an appealing package. He was a bit damaged from his secrets ,yes, but so Wholly a MAN. I LOVED this book..I read it in a matter of hours it was so unputdownable. This is a book that is a keeper for me for sure.